Hello,
So here is Ben and Luke. Have posted a thread with some pics of them before but not specifically on them both.
Ben is the older one (some even call him Ol' Ben) thicker trunk (and GREAT bark, I love it). Luke is thinner and can see at its base, its just starting to get the nice bark...

I’m working on a longer term informal upright Chinese elm. I purchased the tree in early 2012 and its first three years were subpar due to my noob usage (“learning opportunity”) of subpar soil material (too organic), inadequate pot sizing, and poor timing of pruning.
Tiny tree, mid-2012...

I found this little guy at a local garden center. I was attracted to it because it had the thickest trunk and I saw an opportunity to chop it for taper. Since the chop, it's put out some strong growth, although not in the most desirable locations along the bends. Maybe spring will bring some new...